The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Softball picked second in Big 12 preseason poll
01.17.2024 | Softball
The Longhorns return 14, including entire pitching staff, from last season’s team that advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals
IRVING, Texas – The University of Texas softball program has been picked to finish in second place in the Big 12 Conference following a preseason vote among the league's coaches, the conference announced Wednesday afternoon.
By being voted second, Texas will open a season with its highest predicted finish since 2021. The Longhorns have been selected in the top three of the preseason poll each year since 2011.
Just nine months after making an appearance in the NCAA Super Regionals, the fourth in four completed seasons under Mike White as head coach on the Forty Acres, Texas returns eight of the 10 student-athletes penned into the starting lineup from its 2023 season finale, including both pitchers who made relief appearances.
In total, Texas returns 100 percent of its 2023 pitching staff, while also adding freshman Teagan Kavan, who struck out 15 of 28 batters faced during fall ball, to the rotation. Offensively, the Longhorns return eight of their top 10 batters, who met the minimum requirement of two plate appearances per game and 75 percent of games played to be listed among team leaders.
The program also returns all three — Mac Morgan, Mia Scott and Leighann Goode — NFCA All-Region selections along with five now-sophomores — Goode, Reese Atwood, Citlaly Gutierrez, Ashton Maloney and Viviana Martinez — who represented half of the league's 10-member 2023 All-Big 12 Freshman Team. Atwood, Goode, Gutierrez, Maloney and Morgan were all selected to the All-Big 12 Second Team, too, while Scott was appointed to the All-Big 12 First Team.
Texas will open up its 2024 schedule on Friday, Feb. 9, when the Longhorns are set to face San Diego inside UCLA's Easton Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. The Longhorns and Bruins — both expected to be ranked among the nation's top 25 programs by season's start — will also face off on Feb. 9.
A marquee five-game slate against perennial contenders — Tennessee, Stanford, North Carolina, Kentucky and Northwestern — await Texas the following week at the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational in Clearwater, Fla. The Longhorns will play its first game of the season at Red & Charline McCombs Field on Wednesday, Feb. 21 against Houston Christian.
Following back-to-back weekends at home participating in the Lone Star State Invitational and Longhorn Invitational, Texas will begin Big 12 play on Friday, March 8, when the Longhorns travel to Houston to square off against the conference newcomer Cougars. The remainder of the Longhorns' conference slate is highlighted by a three-game tilt against preseason league favorites Oklahoma Sooners in Austin beginning on Friday, April 5.
The 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship, which will be held at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City, Okla., will begin on Wednesday, May 8 and run through Saturday, May 11.
2024 Big 12 Softball Preseason Poll (Coaches*)
|
Rank |
Team (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
|
1. |
Oklahoma (9) |
81 |
|
2. |
TEXAS (1) |
73 |
|
3. |
Oklahoma State |
62 |
|
4. |
Baylor |
59 |
|
5. |
UCF |
48 |
|
6. |
Texas Tech |
35 |
|
7. |
BYU |
28 |
|
8. |
Kansas |
27 |
|
9. |
Iowa State |
20 |
|
10. |
Houston |
17 |
*Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own programs.
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